Ladysmith Black Mambazo to honour Madiba

Ladysmith Black Mambazo is back in SA fresh from winning their 5th Grammy Award with their latest album ‘Shaka Zulu Revisited’ earlier this year. Out of two nominations at the Grammy’s, they scooped the Best World Music category! They dedicate this award to former President Nelson Mandela.

A favourite of the late great Nelson Mandela, Ladysmith Black Mambazo travelled with the future South African president, at his request, when he went to Oslo, Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. A year later they were singing at the inauguration of the newly elected President in 1994. After many more special appearances with the South African icon, Mandela proclaimed the group South Africa`s Cultural Ambassadors to the World.

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Internationally acclaimed Ladysmith Black Mambazo will be at the SA State Theatre for three days to commemorate the centenary of Nelson Mandela this June.

This year the Isicathamiya music group is celebrating an amazing 58 years in the music industry. They are regarded as a mobile academy of South African cultural heritage through their African indigenous Isicathamiya music. Most importantly, the group also salutes and dedicates this award to the founder, Professor Joseph Shabalala, who led this group from the dusty streets of Ladysmith to global prominence.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo first came together in the early 1960s under the gentle guidance of Shabalala. His inspiration for the group came to him in a dream in which a choir of children sang and danced. Shabalala soon transformed that dream into real life when he formed Ladysmith Black Mambazo. He introduced a new style of music and movements which made Isicathamiya music fashionable and prominent in the entertainment industry at the time. Isicathamiya became dominant and more groups stated following in Ladysmith Black Mambazo footsteps.

Having won 5 Grammy awards and being nominated more than 18 times makes Ladysmith Black Mambazo one of the best groups in the world. From the beginning of their journey they took South African music industry by storm, being the first group to sell a gold disc sales status.

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